Reflection "Now think about the way you did Test 1, Exercise 1. Read the questions in the Following table and put YES or NO to show you have, or have not, done these things, ‘The questions remind you about the things you should do in Exercise | in the Reading and Writing exam. If some of your answers are NO, these are the areas you need to ‘practise a bit more to improve your performance in the exam, 1. Did you read the questions first before reading the text? Read the questions first. You need to know what details to look for before you start reading. You should: * look at Question 1 + read the text + find the answer to Question 1 * highlight the answer in the text * write your answer on the line provided, Then do the same for Questions 2-5, continuing reading from iwhere you left off. Remember you will need to read the whole text again for Question 6. 2 Did you highlight the important words in each question? 3. Did you underline the answers when you found them in the text? Highlight important words in the question to remind you what detail you are looking for (e.g. the year of the first ‘competition. ‘Sometimes you need to look at the text again to check that you have selected the correct detail. Its easier to check your answers if you underline them in the text. If you do not underline your answers, you might have to read some parts of the text again and waste your time during the exam, ‘4 Did you transfer your answers from the text onto the line provided as itis wwritton in the text? In Exercise 1, when you transfer your answers, you should use the same words as in the text. You do not need to change the wording of the answer. I you ty to paraphrase the answer, you might change the meaning and lose marks 5 | Did you transfer the necessary details only, not the whole sentence or irrelevant information? In this exercise, you are tested on your ability to select the correct detail when reading, You are not showing this skill if you copy the whole sentence. By vniting too much, you also waste your time in the exam. 6 Did you check that you did not select any distracting information as part of your answer? If you include @ distracting detail together with a correct detail, the whole answer would be wrong and would not be given any marks. 7 _ Did you answer Questions 1-5 first and then scan the text to find the answers to Question 6? itis very dificult to find the answers to Question 6 while you are answering Questions 1-5. Itis easier to read the text again after you have answered Questions 1-5. You can scan read the text much more quickly the second time and focus on the three details. 8 Did you check that you included the correct type of detail required for each question (e.g. a number, aname)?Reflection ‘Now think about the way you did Test 1, Exercise 2. Read the questions in the table and put YES or NO to show you have, or have not, done these things. The questions ‘remind you about the things you should do in Exercise 2 in the Reading and Writing exam, some of your answers are NO, these are the areas you need to practise a bit ‘more to improve your performance in the exam. 1 Did you read the opinions (2H) before reading the article? The opinions can sometimes be noun phrases (e.g. a suggestion, of how to deal with a difficult situation) but they can also be written as questions (¢.9. which person suggests a way of dealing with a difficult situation) 2 Did you highlight the important words in each opinion? 3 Did you read each text one at atime? Highlighting important words will remind you what detail you are looking for (e.g. good teacher and important. Remember that the vocabulary used in the opinions is not always the same as the vocabulary used in the text. The ideas in the text are often paraphrased and implied Read one text at a time. Then select all the opinions from the list that this text expresses before you move on to the next text. The order of the opinions on the list is usually different from the order they appear in the text. 4 Did you underline the answers when you found them in each text? 5 Did you match all the opinions (2H{i) from the list to one of the texts? Check that the opinion you find in the text fully matches the idea in the opinion from the list. If only part of the idea is the same, it might not be the correct answer, but a wrong distracting detail If you underline the ideas in the text, it will be easier for you to check them against the opinions from the list. Do not leave any spaces blank. If you do not know the answer, guess it. You will not lose marks for wrong answers. There are no extra opinions on the list. This means that you should use all the opinions (a)-(i) in your answers. 6 Did you check again the answers you weren't sure about the first time? If you are not sure about some of your answers, or you cannot decide between two opinions, while you are doing the exercise, put a question mark next to them. When you finish doing the whole exercise, go back to these answers to check them again and make your final decision about what the answer should be. 7 Did you write only one letter per line for each opinion? Do not include more than one answer. If you change your mind, you need to cross out your first attempt and write your final answer clearly next to it. Do not overwrite your first attempt, as answers like these may not be legible and you may lose marks.Reflection Now think about the way you did Test 1, Exercise 3,/Read the questions in the following table and put YES or NO to show you have, or have not, done these things. ‘The questions remind you about the things you should do in Exercise 3in the Reading exam. If some of your answers are NO, these are the areas you need to practise a bit ‘more to improve your performance in the Reading exam, id you first ca instructions and the headings for your notes? 1 i refully read the ‘The order of the headings for your notes may not always, be the same as the order of the ideas in the text. Also, the ideas in the text may not always come in the same paragraph. They are often spread throughout the text. 2 Did you highlight the important words in each heading? 3 Did you highlight the details/ ideas in the text that are required for each heading? Highlight important words in the question to remind you what detail you are looking for (e.g. reasons and starting). It is a good idea to use a different highlighter pen for each heading and then to use the same colour to underline the ideas in the text Read the text and highlight all the examples required for the first heading. Then transfer the correct number of ‘examples onto the lines provided under the first heading, Repeat the same for the second heading, and so on. 4 Did you transfer the ideas under the correct heading, on the lines provided? If you highlight ideas that go under the same heading with a different colour highlighter, it wll be easier for you to see which ideas should go under the same heading. Also make sure that each idea is written on a separate line. 5 Did you transfer the answers as they are worded in the text? 6 Did you include the correct number of details under each heading? Do not paraphrase your answers. You are tested on whether you can find the correct details. By changing the wording of the answer, you might also change the meaning and lose marks. Use the same wording as in the text. The number of marks shown under each heading tells you how many ideas are required. You get one mark for each correct idea. There are usually more ideas in the text than. you need. id you check that you did not lucie the same idea twice? Sometimes there may be two details that talk about the samé 2a. If you include both of these similar ideas as ‘two separate answers, you will only get one mark. For exemple, the battery life ofthis lighting is about 14 hours and (14 hours of battery lifes really impressive both the same benefit of CYTECH products and should only be included once. 8 Did you check that you included the details under the correct heading? Ifyou include the correct detail, but write it under the wrong heading, this detail will not receive a mark.Reflection Now ink about the way you did Test I, Exercise 4. Read the questions in the following table and put YES or NO to show you have, or have not, done these things. ‘The questions remind you about the things you should do in Exercise 4in the Reading and Writing exam. If some of your answers are NO, these are the areas you need to practise a bit more to improve your performance in the exam, 1 Did you read the questione before reading the text? ‘Tho order of the questions ie the same ac the order of the answers in the text. 2. Didyou highlight the important words in each question? ‘Only highlight the key words in the question, not in the options. The highlighted words will help you to locate the part of the text where the answer is more quickly. For example, some questions will tell you which paragraph you need to look at to find the answer. 3 Did you check which questions focus on referencing words or vocabulary phrases? To locate the answers to questions that test referencing words or vocabulary phrases, you are given the number of the line where the word or phrase appears in the text. This means you can locate the correct part of the text very quickly. 4 Did you check if any of the questions are ‘global’ questions (e.g. the main reason/purpose the text was written)? 5 Did you read the text quickly to find the part of the text where the answer is located for each question? ‘Always check if there is a ‘global’ question. This type ‘of question may not always be included in Exercise 4, But, when itis, remember that you will have to read the whole text to be able to answer this question. Such questions may focus on: * the main purpose of the text (e.g, toeftertain, to inform, to encourage) + what the whole text describes (@.g. an experience, challenges) */ what the writer suggests in the whole text (e.g. a change is needed, an idea that is often misunderstood) Remember that for some questions you are given the umber of the line in the text so that you can locate the answers more quickly 6 Did you read the part of the text with the answer in more slowly and match it to thejcorrect option, AC? Iris a good idea to highlight the answers in the text when you find them. You can then always go back to this ppart of the text if you need to check anything. Look at the highlighted text and make sure the idea matches the option completely. I it does not, this means itis probably a distracting detail and, therefore, not the correct answer. you still cannot decide between two options, put a question mark next to this question and go back to it when you have finished the rest of the questions. If you are stil not sure what the correct answer is, guess and puta tick in one of the boxes. Do not spend too long on ‘one particular question, as you might run out of time.7 Did you read the sentence before and after the sentence with the referencing word, or a phrase, init? Reference questions test your knowledge of referencing words (e.g. it, this, them, those). This type of question can also test how well you can guess the meaning of an unknown phrase, like idioms (e.g. with flying colours, when the penny dropped, at the deep end). To answer these questions, you will have to look for clues in the sentences that come before and after to be able decide what the meaning of these words/phrases is. 8 Did you read the text quickly again before answering the ‘global’ question? 9 Did you tick one box for each question? You need to make sure that the idea in the option you select as your answer is an idea that is present in the whole text. If the idea is only present in one of the paragraphs, this means it is not the correct answer, but, a distracting detail You should only tick one box for each question as there is only one correct answer for each question. The other ‘two options are distracting details that are wrong. Reflection Now think about the way you did Test 1, Exercise 5, Read the questions in the following table and put YES or NO to show you have, or have not, done these things. The questions remind you about the things you should do in Exercise 5 in the Reading and Writing exam. If some of your answers are NO, these are the areas you need to practise a bit more to improve your performance in the exam. 1 Did you read the instructions carefully and highlight the important information? Pay attention to the information in the instructions, which tell you what you have to do: ‘© what format you should write in (e.g. an email) + who you are miiting to (e.g. a friend) ‘+ what points you need to include (e.g. describe your new pet). Remember— you need to cover all three points in your email + show many words you should write. 2 Did you plan your answer before you started writing? ‘Spend a few moments thinking about how you are going 410 organise your email, how many paragraphs to include and what ideas you want to include in each paragraph. ‘Only make quick notes of these ideas (e.g. cat / rescue home, brown, feed and play / happy, mischievous). Do ot spend too much time writing down your notes as ong sentences. 3. Did you decide what register your email should be in? Always check who you are writing to before deciding ‘what register you need. If you are writing to a friend, you need to write in an informal register4 Did you refer to your notes from the planning stage? Your notes will save you time when you start writing your answer. You will already know what information you need to include and in which order. Also, as you will already know what to write, it is easier for you to focus on other things in your writing, like grammar and vocabulary. 5 Didyyou develop the ideas from the bullet points? ‘Do not just include short answers to the bullet points, Develop your ideas by adding examples, comparing things that are happening now with something in the past, or comparing your situation with somebody else's (e.g. another family member, your neighbour) 6 Did youmake sure you divided your email into paragraphs? Start with three paragraphs (1 introduction, 2 giving information, 3 conclusion). If you write about more topics, you can add more paragraphs in the middle. 7 Did you make sure you used linking words and phrases to connect ideas? Connect your ideas in sentences within paragraphs (e.g. when, but, that is why, which). You also need linkers to introduce a new idea at the start of a paragraph (e.g. anyway, that reminds me). Without any linkers your writing will sound very simple and unnatural. 8 Did you use a range of vocabulary? To increase your range of vocabulary try using: * synonyms (e.g. huge, enormous, massive, look, stare, glance) * collocations (e.g. keep a promise, the exact opposite) + phrasal verbs (e. In town) * idioms (e.g. she is a breath of fresh air, he makes my day) * other fixed expressions (e.g. ! am in charge of, we are out of time). break up for the summer, grow up 9 Did you use a range of grammatical structures? 10 Did you check that you covered all three points from the question and achieved the purpose of the task (e.g. to inform and explain)? z would not have agreed to get me a = Use 2 range of structures ~ such as tenses (2.9. | was so happy because my parents had got me a pet), or conditionals (e.g. If fhad not asked every single day, my You might ose marks for content if you do not cover all three points from the question. 11 Did you check that your email is within the word limit? If you write too litte, your answer will not be developed enough and you might lose marks for content. If you spend, too much time on your answer and itis too long, some of your ideas may be irrelevant to the task and you might not ‘have enough time for the other parts of the test.12. Did you proofread your answer When you proofread your writing, check if your verbs are to check for any obvious in the correct form (e.g. see/sees/saw/seen/seeing), you errors? sed the correct prepositions (e.g. in/at/with/by), you used articles (a/the), you used the correct tenses (e.g. he went / he was going /he will go /he is gone) and so on. However, ‘only do this if you have enough time. Remember that you still have to write another task after Exercise 5. Reflection ‘Now think about the way you did Test 1, Exercise 6, Read the questions in the following table and put YES or NO to show you have, of have not, done these things. ‘The questions remind you about the things you should do in Exercise 6 in the Writing exam, If some of your answers are NO, these are the areas you need to practise a bit ‘more to improve your performance in the Writing exam, Did you read the instructions carefully and highlight the important, information? Pay attention to the information in the instructions, which tell you what you have to do: ‘© what format you should write (e.g. a report) + who you are writing to (e.g. a teacher) + what you need to include (e.6, what you enjoyed and suggest improvements) + how many words you should write (120-160). 2 Didyou plan your answer before you started writing? Spend a few moments thinking about: ‘+ what the purpose of the report is ‘+ what register you should use (.e. informal, semi-formal or formal) © how many paragraphs to include + what ideas you want to include in each paragraph. Only make quick notes of these ideas (e.g. coach — bad traffic, delays / ran out of time to see more / museum - good, but guided tour would be better / recommendations — students vote on what to see, more careful planning next time, by train). 3. Did you refer to your notes ‘rom the planning stage? Itis very difficult to think of ideas and write at the same time. If you have your notes from the planning stage, you know you will net forget to mention anything and your ideas will be well organised, in a logical order. = Did you paraphrase the ideas from the speech bubbles (if you used them)? 5 Did you also include at least one idea of your own? 6 Did you develop your ideas? Develop your ideas by adding examples, or writing about the positive and also negative aspects (e.g. what was good about ‘the museum and whatiwas not). You can also include reasons and explanations.7 Did you divide your report into paragraphs? ‘You should always have at least three paragfaphs. If you have a lot of informatiomin the middle paragraph, you can divide it into more paragraphs (e.g. the positive and negative points about the trip), 8 Did you label paragraphs / report sections with subheadings? To make iteasier for the reader to find the necessary information in reports, we use subheadings for paragraphs (e.g, 1 Introduction, 2 The trip, 3 Conclusion / Recommendations). 9 Did you introduce the topic of the report in the first paragraph? To introduce your report, use phrases like The aim of this Teportis to»... or This report provides information about . 10. Did you provide information about the trip in the middle paragraph? 11 Did you suggest improvements in the last paragraph? To make recommendations in the final paragraph of your report, use phrases like | therefore suggest (+ -ing form) or I would like to recommend that 12. Did you use linking words and phrases to connect ideas? In reports we often use linking words and phrases to add more examples (e.g. in addition to that), contrast (€.g. however) and result (e.g. therefore) 13 Did yourmake sure your report is written in the correct register? The register is the tone and the type of language you use in your writing. The register needs to be appropriate for the given situation. Always check who you are writing to before deciding on the register. If you are writing to your teacher, you need to use a semi-formal register. 14. Did you try to use a range of grammatical structures? * Use a range of structures, ike tenses (e.g. We had been driving on the motorway for an hour when we experienced bad traffic and we were delayed as a resuk}, or conditionals (e.g. If we had! not taken a coach, we would have had more time to see the city centre propery) ‘+ Its common to use the passive voice in reports. This makes them a bit more formal. For example, rather than writing ‘they were renovating one section of the museum’, you can write ‘one section of the museurn Was. being renovated! 15. Did you use a range of words and phrases? 16 Did you check that your report is within the word limit? In reports you will often be asked to provide opinions and to evaluate something. This means you can use a range of adjectives. Remember that your choice of vocabulary needs to be appropriate for a semi-formal register 0, instead of using It wes rubbish, you should write it was very disappointing or It did not meet our expectations. 17 Did you proofread your report at the end? Only check your writing if you have some time left and you have completed all the other parts of the Reading and Writing exam.Marking criteria for Questions 16 and 17 Table A: Content Marks Description 5-6 Task fulfilment Task is fulfilled. Content is fully relevant throughout. Consistently appropriate style for the text type. Excellent sense of purpose and audience. Development of ideas Content is very well developed. 3-4 | Task fulfilment * Task is generally futfilled. * Content is generally relevant. * Generally appropriate style for the text type. * Generally good sense of purpose and audience. Development of ideas * Content is generally developed. 1-2 | Task fulfilment + Task is only partially fulfilled. * Content is only partially relevant. * Style for the text type is inconsistent or inappropriate. + Insufficient sense of purpose and audience. Deve nt of i + Limited attempt to develop content. 0 | Nocreditable responseTable B: Language Marks Des scription 1-9 Range and accuracy Content is communicated skilfully and appropriately. Uses a wide range of common and less common vocabulary appropriately. Uses a wide range of simple and complex structures. High level of accuracy of language. Occasional errors may be present, but these do not impede communication. Organisation Effectively organised and sequenced. Uses a wide range of linking words and/or other cohesive devices appropriately. 46 Range and accuracy Content is communicated clearly. Uses a range of common vocabulary appropriately and attempts to use some less common vocabulary. Uses a range of simple structures and attempts to use some complex structures. Generally good level of accuracy of language. Errors do not generally impede communication. Organisation Generally well organised and sequenced. Uses a range of linking words and/or other cohesive devices generally appropriately. 1-3 Rani I Content is communicated but lacks clarity. Uses only common vocabulary. Uses only simple structures. Lack of control of language. Errors impede communication. Organisation Limited attempt at organisation and sequencing, Limited attempt to use linking words and/or other cohesive devices. No creditable content.